Horror Books

Wise Child, a spoiled girl orphaned by the death of her grandmother and abandoned by her gorgeous and powerful witch mother, is taken in by the village witch and healer, Juniper. Wise Child quickly overcomes her fears and--despite the hard work--becomes Juniper's protégé. Wise Child is stuck between the pull of the easy life with her powerful mother and the love and satisfaction of life with Juniper. This simple and magical tale is powerful because of the beautiful prose and the well-drawn and fascinating characters. Wise Child's voice is clear and powerful. Grade: A-

Wise Child was one of my favorite books growing up. It is a simple, but powerful story that is really enjoyable for young adults and regular old adults. The characters are very unique and compelling. Monica Furlong has a great writing style that is enjoyable in itself.

Furlong's novel, set in medieval Scotland, is a hidden jewel, well-written and extremely descriptive. Wise Child's narration, though perhaps a little mature for her age, is believable and poignant, and the novel proceeds well from one event to the next. The author's portrayal of magic is unique and genuine, and historical details add credibility to the novel. I would definitely recommend this likable novel for all ages; 10/10.

There aren't any good books anymore; that's what I thought before Wise Child. This is my favorite book, it is so detailed that I could see the village and the white house in my mind.
The book starts off excellent; explaining what is going on.
It gets a tad slow at the very end, but I don't mind.
The cover is so beautiful as well; because you can see Junipers kindness right there.
Wise Child is great and I reccomend it for anyone!!!!!

One of my favorite books from my childhood and still a joy to reread, Wise Child is the story of one magical child's coming of age. Spoiled but abandoned at a young age, Wise Child is taken in my a woman named Juniper. Juniper lives apart from the small, poor Christian village that Wise Child comes from, and she is a fair but tough mentor, making Wise Child work hard and learn much. In her house on a hill, Juniper teaches Wise Child languages, math, and astronomy, how to grow, harvest, and use herbs, and how to heal the sick in the village below. Slowly, Juniper begins to initiate Wise Child into the way of a doran, a class of magical women who live in the rhythm of nature and use their magic to help those around them. Wise Child's powers blossom, but dark shadows hang over her peaceful life with Juniper: her beautiful, powerful, dangerous mother calls to her from afar, and the close-minded town threatens their safety up on the hill. The book is a magical story of the hard work of coming of age and the love and power than can result from it. Wise Child must find confidence in herself, faith in her future and her powers, and love for her others in order to grow, creating a life-affirming, strong, true message. Furlong's writing style is smooth, her characters are easy to identity with and to love, and the magic in her story is both realistic and exciting. I highly recommend this book to readers of all age groups, and I love coming back to it myself.

The best thing that a coming of age story can do is show us not only the trails and tribulations of adolescence but also the good things about it and the wonders that we reap from it. This book does exactly that. In Juniper's house, Wise Child works hard, learns to do things she doesn't necessarily want to do, and is tested, but her abilities and successes are also celebrated. Juniper is perhaps the idea parent-figure: she coaches, supports, loves, but also forces Wise Child to be strong and stand on her own two feet. As such, Wise Child's story is easy to identify with but also uplifting and promising--the reader comes away knowing that they are not alone in their difficulties, but also that there is something to be gained from it all. The balance between sacrifice and gain is perfect, making this a wonderful read for adolescents and the still-maturing of all age.

Not only is the basis of the story a strong one, the actual aspects of it, including characterization, writing style, and details such as the role of magic are all incredibly well done. Juniper is a mysterious, open-hearted, independent woman, a real role model and inspiring character. Wise Child is realistically selfish and doubtful, but also shows realistic growth and strength that the reader can imitate. Wise Child's POV is in character without being limited, aggravating, or immature, and the overall writing style is smooth, clean, and incredibly fluid and easy to read. The role of magic in the story is well thought out: Furlong makes it quite clear, through Juniper, that there are different realms of what it means to be "real," and her conception of magic manages to make sense in the visible world while still containing enough fantasy and originality to sweep the reader away. Truly this is a skillful book, perhaps the most skillful that Furlong as written. In holds up well when reread and works well for any audience.

I highly recommend Wise Child. To the adolescent, it is a story they can identify with and be inspired by; to those chronically out of adolescence, it is a way to look back and reassess our own journeys, and also a reminder than learning, maturity, and increasing strength is a never ending, never easy, entirely worthwhile journey. The book is a quick read, engrossing, and enjoyable. I'm happy to own it and return to reread it every year or two.

I was skeptical about reading any book based on a TV show, but this one was very well-thought out. The characters stayed true to their television depictions in a whole new and very interesting story. I recommend this for any Buffy fan.

does anybody else get why this book gets two diffrent covers? the one shown here (brown with xander, buffy and angel) and the one with buffy and a demon? their both about the fair.... so someone please explain.... AND is there any other buffy the vampire slayer books with altertive covers?
if you like "little things" the buffy book with spike of the cover, you must be a dark faerie fan so you'll love this book
p.s chistopher golded and nancy holder rock, buy anything with there names on
love ya D

This was my first Buffy the Vampire Slayer Book. I read it before I even watched the show, the plot just seemed good to me so I bought it, and little did I know I was about to become a Buffy Fanatic. It starts off with Buffy and this hunt that goes through the town and they take people capture. All the rest I can say is "WOW" I'd give this book 10 stars if I could. Even if you are not a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Book you should pick this one up.

P.S. Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder are the best Buffy writers in the series.

I am a HUGE fan of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. I have been since the first episode aired 7 years ago. I'm so sad that it's over but atleast there are still many buffy novels for me to read. Child of the Hunt was the first Buffy Novel I read. And I read it 5 TIMES!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a bad novel, but far from being a great one. Mr Golden and Ms. Holder have a decent grasp on the Buffyverse (though, given their expertise, far too many errors still creep in). My biggest gripe here is with the writing style. Many things in the book are simply described. We are told about what happened rather than seeing them played out in a scene. This should virtually never happen in any novel.

Perhaps I have standards that are set too high, but I never see the fact that a novel is a media tie-in as an excuse for lazy writing.

And even now that I would technically constitute as a real adult, I still love this book, and all of L.J. Smith's work.

Smith weaves together a tale that is fantastic--in the old sense. Like fantasy--and suspenseful. She creates a Shadow World by taking pieces of legend from different mythologies and blending them expertly with her own ideas.

Her characters, while at first seem a little flat or one sided (Tom the handsom, confident jock; Zack the withdrawn, introvert artist; Audrey the diva socialite), do grow through these three novels, and they become a little more multifaceted. Toward the end, even Julian the antagonist develops some. But most of the character development seems to center around Jenny. Fitting, I suppose, since she is the main character.

Smith does have a problem with tags. Tags, for anyone unfamiliar with the term, is a word or phrase used in association with a character to help the reader remember who s/he is, what s/he looks like, or how s/he typically acts. Tags are great, but when overused, they tend to get distracting, and even a bit annoying. By the middle of the first book, it was drilled into my head that Audrey has "spiky copper bangs" and that Michael runs a hand "through his rumpled dark hair" a LOT. Smith could have improved her writing by coming up with a few different phrases for each character, and alternating between them so the reader doesn't come across the same ones over and over.

I still gave this collection of the three novels five stars because its pros far outweigh its cons. The plots are original and exciting. I read the books maybe once a year, and it's a joy every time. In an age where teen fiction is rapidly turning toward the fantastic, influcenced by things like Harry Potter, L.J. Smith has provided today's teens and young adults with some outstanding literature.

This book made me love L.J. Smith. It's so wonderful. It has adventure, love, and excitment! A perfect book for teens and young adults. The whole set is nice because you read straight through. You pick up exactly where you left off. You can't put it down, you want to read and read until you get to the end! You just have to read it for yourself.

I would be hard pressed to pick one of L.J. Smith's leading guys as my favorite, but Julien was and still is one of the most intriguing leads in all the books I have ever read. This book has it all, romance and intrigue, drama and suspense. But best of all, unlike a lot of the YA fiction that is out there it actually will keep you up at night wondering about who might be standing over your bed. The antagonist/protagonist(because by the end of the book, your rooting for our boy)is a wonderful mix of persuasion and force, and the Shadow race is enough to send chills and goosbumps over every inch of your back. And though the ending is sad and not what you might expect, it is not your same cut-and-dried happily ever after. This book leaves you with that question you always thought after you read a book that really strikes a cord in you "What happens next?"
And I don't know about you, but that is what makes a great book for me. Lets put it this way...the first time I read this book I was fifteen, and I am now 25 and buying it here on amazon. Ten years is a good reference for a book I'd think!

This story attracted me to it at the age of 9 yrs. old, especially since of my love of vampire stories and such which comes from feminine figures drawn towards a dark power and other types of evil. I liked it because the girl "Jenny Thornton" was able to overcome "Julian's" grasp on her. She was able to overcome the evil thrown against her even though at times he seemed unbearable. Even though Julian loved her and tried almost everything to have her...still Jenny was able to succeed by the power of good. This story definitely stated the power of good over evil. In a way, she stood as an example for me: a symbol for all those, especially feminine, to stand up for ourselves in times of unspeakable evil and the "bad" in our lives. I hoped this review proved useful.

I unfortunately haven't had the privilege to read the 2nd book in this series, though I do have #1 and #3 of the series. Very spellbinding, addictive as someone else have stated before. What attracted me to this series is simply the title - FORBIDDEN game. It's human nature to do what we're told not to - out of curiosity, or an insane bravery to see for ourselves? Anyway, my books are losing pages, I've had them for years now, figured it be a good thing to get a book with the whole series included in one.
I see everyone's point - why would Jenny go for Tom instead? Julian is gorgeous, enticing, outrageous and powerful. Tom... well, he's our typical average male teen. I think Jenny made the right choice though - Julian is great and all, but if you come right down to the nitty gritty, he's not human and that should be enough to make your blood chill. Hell, I'd run if he tried to get me.
Also, last of all - the Bible states that Satan/Lucifer was one of God's most beautiful angels. Completely evil, but beautiful. Now, doesn't that make you wonder?
Ultimately a brilliant series, got me interested in runes and magic, etc. Has anyone been crazy enough to try out the runes in the books? Please let me know if you did!

this came to me in great shape and just what i wanted. thank you

I highly recommend the Betrayel because it will tell you the secret about the unspeakable terror that has haunted Fear street for the last 300 years. Its about this girl name susannah goode falls in love with Edward Feir and they both want to get married. But Edwards father forbids him from seeing her so he framed susannah and her mother of being witches and burned them at the stake. William Goode , Susannah`s father , wanted revenge against the feir family so he traveled to every colony to find them. This book will tell all about two feuding who caused terror on fear street for 300 years.

I am 24 years old and I still love Fear Street. I read this saga over 10 years ago and I started thinking about it a few months ago for some reason. I looked in book stores but it was order only, so I didn't bother. Finally my husband told me to go on Amazon and order it. After all, we would be going to the beach for Labor Day weekend and I don't like going into the water, so reading material is a must.

I'm almost done with the first book, and I love it. I feel like a teen again.

I really like this book because of the mystery and the betrayal and also the dark things that happen. In the book there is a example of betrayal between the two families because the Feirs light a huge fire
at the Goodes, house and believe it or not the Goodes and the Feirs use to be friends.

This book takes place in Massachusetts where two families the Goodes, and the Feirs have been in a battle for years.There had been a great fire that had taken two special people away from William Goode. One was his wife Martha Goode ,the other was Susannah Goode, his daughter. Now William seeks revenge on Matthew and his whole family.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery and horror books and R.L Stine books.There is a second book but I have not chosen to read it because it gets slow at the end and they talk about the same things over and over.

This book 'The Betrayal' is about a revenge that had lasted for three hundred years. I loved it so much I decided to read all the sagas. It took me less than one day to finish the whole book. I couldn't put the book down that i took it to the dining room!

It starts off when there was a pretty but poor girl called Susannah Goode. She was told that there was 'the Evil One'. She fell in love with a rich man called Edward Fier. But his father Benjamin Fier refused to let them marry. He wanted him to marry another rich girl. When Edward kept refusing to marry another rich girl that his father had arranged, Benjamin made Susannah and her mother go to prison by making her like a witch. Edward now felt that he was betrayed by her.

When the two women were burnt at stake, Susannah's father William Goode vowed revenge.

Many years later Edward's cousin, Mary, met a young man. She fell in love with him. But many horrible things happened. Then one by one some of the Fiers died except Mary and Edward. Have William Goode gone too far?

If you can read books without any trouble with killings and blood, this book can suit you.

Hey...what do I really need to say here? I mean, this is Edgar Allan Poe we're talking about! It's an excellent collection of his stories and poems. Many people are of the opinion that Poe's works are all rather macabre. Although many of his works do fit into that category, he was also a brilliant satirist. For example, I recommend his short story, "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether". Quite hilarious, and very witty. Poe was a highly educated member of society, and was also the 'inventor' of the modern detective mystery with his short story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." His incomparable literary style has gone unequaled to this day. For those already familiar with Poe, I suggest you read him again to have a fresh look at his works. For those who are NOT familiar with his works, you are missing out BIG time! Poe having been homegrown right here in America, we can be proud of his literary achievements. Check it out.

Allan F. Whitney

I bought this book as a gift for my friend. She loved it.I was so glad I was able to find it here.

Edgar Allan Poe is regarded as the undisputed master of the gothic horror genre. This collection contains all his published works, faithful reproductions from the orginals, that have made him famous. With stories like the the Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell Tale Heart and poems like The Raven, this books is a must have for any Poe fan or any one who is new to Poe.

Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite authors of all time. I recall reading the 'Tell Tale Heart' as an 8 year old and getting hooked. I read most any work of his that I could get my hands on, in the process inspiring in me a love of literature and mystery. I loved his works so much, many years later I coupled my biology major with an english minor just so I could have an excuse for reading during the busy college days. This work compiles the literary works of an absolute genius into a beautiful, must have volume. It would be a perfect gift for anyone who enjoys Poe and even for the child who shows growing signs of getting into video gaming...maybe catch the kid before its too late!

Edgar Allan Poe, born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809, died October 7, 1849.

What is it that makes an author famous? I don't mean famous in the sense a news article reports that "Jack Greylea's novels sold 15 million copies last year," but in the sense that he is thought of as being profound, and seminal. That he is quoted, and scholars analyse his works, and he is looked upon as being the original voice of his style, or the font from which many imitators have drawn inspiration.

Edgar Allan Poe is one such. The very hint of his name calls up images of midnight graveyards, of crumbling mansions lit by wax candles, the home of strange and tormented aristocrats, till the description "Poe-like" can draw as vivid a picture in our minds as "elephant-like."

Yet his output was not great. Basically a short story writer and poet, he produced only one full-length novel, which received more censure than praise, and which very few people today can name. Without wishing to run him down as an author (what he did, he did well, but what he did well, was to be Poe) he was a limited writer, and all of his works over twenty-two years can be contained in one thickish book.
So what is the secret of Poe, whereby a scanty writer becomes the cult-centre of a world of horror that carries his own stamp? It lies I think in two things.

Not to place these two in any order of importance as regards his continuing fame - I leave this to you - but I would say....
Firstly, that it was his choice of subject and execution of it. The mournful, weird and macabre, in which man becomes little more than an instrument of darkness, and that usually the worst darkness, that which wells up from within, whose black light shows us as being not the pawns of evil, but the source of evil itself. But to seize on this idea - or any other idea - as inspiration is nothing, merely the starting point from which the quill hits the paper. It is in the execution of his vision that Poe's genius emerges. Not with a great deal of subtlety, nor a much complexity, but with great and disciplined fixity on the horror of his intentions, Poe moves relentless to the nasty culmination of his stories, and they come to us with all the rawness of unconsoled misery. His art was that of the short story writer, and as such he wrote little, but when reading Poe a little is more than enough.

Secondly, that Poe more than any other author is identified as a man with his works. An orphan and an outcast from his adopted family, overly sensitive and reckless, he lived wildly, lied readily, lived in poverty, married strangely to his thirteen-year old cousin, was widowed miserably, and finally died mysteriously at age forty, from uncertain causes that speculation has named as anything from drug addiction to murder. As if this were not enough, his works were controlled after his death by his executor, who attempted to blacken his name. More than any other author that I can readily think of, Poe was his own tormented, tragic hero, and his oppressed characters were him.

In the nineteen-sixties, several of Poe's stories and poems - The Pit and the Pendulum, The Masque of the Red Death, The Raven, The Tomb of Legeia and others - were made into popular, low budget films, cementing Poe's reputation firmly into the mythology of modern horror movies. It's common of course for movies to be nothing like the original written work, but all of these are based on not on fully worked out novels, but ideas that Poe dealt with in comparatively few pages.

Incidentally, the principal actor in many of these was Vincent Price, whose tall, mournful frame instantly springs to mind as well nigh inseparable from Poe's weird gems.

This is a phenomenal series. I have read itat least 3 times. If you have any interest in vampires, as well as thrillers, read this series. You will not be disappointed. It is most certainly for mature readers, as it is very graphic on all accounts. However, Pike's writing style is phenomenal. When I read this series for the first time, I couldn't put it down and I'm looking forward to reading it again soon. The characters are strong, the descriptions are amazing and it is simply fantastic.

Now, if only they would turn it into a movie or television series. It has incredibly high potential to be done very, very well...

I read this book as a child and it has always been my favorite. I figured... now 22, I might find the books childish in some regard, yet afetr re-reading the series almost 10 years later, I still feel they are the best books I have ever read.
They are filled as much as can be expected with action, adventure, mystery, horror, and some moments of sadness. Rarely do you come across a book that fulfills all qualifications of perfection... but this series does.
Sita is the most amazing character I have ever encountered in fiction. There is nothing she cant do, and the problems that she faces are extrordinary.
Thank you Mr. Pike for the best books in all of existence.

I've read several vampire series, but these 6 books were my favorite. I've read the series several times. It's sad books like these go out-of-print. I bet people would still buy them...I would recommend these books to anyone. It doesn't matter what age you are, you will enjoy these books.

I truly think that this is the best vampire book ever made.
This book is a must have for any vampire story lover! I read this book when I was in 6th grade and omg it literally changed my life. I was a very bad reader as a child but this book opened a door and introduced me to the wonderful stories books could actually tell. Don't think this is just a kid's book because it isn't, its so much more! Everyone no matter what age can enjoy this book and I hope it brings you as much joy as it did to me.

I absolutely loved the first three books in the series but I face a huge dilema I can't find the fifth book in the series it's the only one left that I need. If anyone could ever bare to separate from 'The last vampire:evil thirst' I would love to have it I would pay a good price for it if you have a copy for sale at a reasonable price join me at s_stosik@hotmail.com

Helaine and Score travel to the nightmare planet of Zarathan, in search of their kidnapped friend Pixel. It's a place where a person's nightmares and fears become reality, and to fall asleep means certain death. John Peel adds some new twists into this installment in the Diadem series by adding some elements of horror with a little science fiction thrown in. Very well done.

This whole series was a hit, it kept me reading and since it abruptly ends at this book (#6) I've been reading the 6 books over and over again, hoping for a change in heart by the author and a real ending, mind you that not rushing an ending in one book would be nice. Yes it is good for us, the readers, to use our imaginations a bit, but this was a complete cliff-hanger. The imagination/creativity is breath taking, never a cheezy moment. Mainly this book takes the story more towards an fantasy/horror story plot. Pixel is in trouble and of course Score/matt and renald/heliene jump right in to save him.... there seems to be little chance for sucsess.... what will happen?

Fun reading, great characters and an interesting twist at the end! John Peel is a good writer. The next books in the series are to be published soon. (...)

i loved the whole Diadem series so much when i was 10 and i started rereading it again and i still definately adore it even though im now 15. i was so mad when i found that this book was his last book in the series. i really want him to make at least one other book i mean he has to the cover picture still isnt complete. i love these books so much.

The Diadem series has been my favorite book since I was ten years old. I am now fifteen and still remember almost every little detail. To bad he finished the series so abruptly, right?

Then again, he didn't. John Peel has written the seventh book and is still working on book eight. The only reason why the series is not sold in stores is because the publishing companies refuse to publish the new books, saying that it did not sell well enough to make more, and they discontinued the already published ones.

I found a website that has a petition that you can sign to put the books back on the market as well as the seventh and eighth. The site is:

Diadem FanZone--The Book Series Lives On

From the first time I read this book in 1974 as an 8th grader, this Utopian type society seemed so far away & unrealistic. Now at 45, I fear it is getting closer. Members getting "treatments"? Think Prozac. People that are compliant, pleasant & "speak no evil"? Think political correctness gone mad. Smoking forbidden? Even closer. Reproduction being controlled with no choice? Sounds like George W. at work here. Hmm... how will the world be when I am 75?

This book should be required reading for High School Literature classes across the country, to open up discussions of personal rights, creativity, freedom & socialism. Think of the ways Levin's masterpiece could be applied to show kids just what "sheep" they are becoming!

I find as I get older & read this book over again, there are more important lessons about individuality, following the crowd & what we expect from ourselves & others as a society. What kind of world stifles creativity & self-expression for the sake of "harmony"? Consider me & my teenagers incurable.

~Cyndi~

At age 58 I cannot remember when I first read this book. It's not that I am losing my mind, but it was that long ago. I have haunted used book stores, flea markets and online, and have bought several hard backs and soft backs so that I am not without a copy of this book (Does this ring of the movie "Conspiracy Theory and the Catcher in the Rye"). I also shared this book with my daughter who is not as much a reader as I am and she loved it too. I cannot understand why this book has not been brought back into print, used as mandatory reading in school and also perhaps made into a movie. Ira Levin has had other books made into movies. I am not going review the story but is there anyone out there who wants it not to end when it does? I have read this book once a year for years and like a small child, keep thinking something will click and I will see whether life on the Island will improve once Chip returns...how will the untreated survive... Also I think that Chip and others due to small differences than the norm are more liable to rebel and this is what the powers that be (Programers, is that what they call themselves...hmmm) were watching for.
As a child I was a science fiction freak and I still love it if I can find a good futuristic society book such as "Beggers In Spain" and now I am a Stephen King/horror/mystery freak. But what can I say, ask me what my favorite book is and it will always be, THIS PERFECT DAY!!!

This is truly such a fine piece or example of his writing skills of the same style according to the from or content of the other novel 1984 too earlier than this one of this authors too as a contrasting view of what the world might well become in the next eon ahead of the writer or reader next to be too, it brings almost tears to my eyes due to how wonderfully it'd so equally been drafted in such a marvelous fashioning of it for our eyes to perceive! It is for this reason most likely that whenever viewed upon any bookstore's shelves, in any extra quantities, I usually buy all the extra copies contained upon its shelves there so as to but pass them around to all I know of who I feel would equally find as enjoyable as I sure did too here, as it truly is for me one of the finest works written too, as I do so believe that so wholeheartedly I even more so often actually would but pay to have others read it alongside me too that way to watch the amused joy while but watching how they did so during the reading stages too ya know what I mean, as I love the finest example of how great it is to see others enjoy it s did myself there too, ya know?

I've had so many people steal this book from me, that I have to keep searching for used copies, since it is still unaccountably out of print. Why I can't fathom, it is a book I periodically go back to reread, and often lend, and it is, to my mind, the best of its genre. If you haven't read it yet, don't delay hunting yourself up a copy. Then keep it close at hand, or you'll lose yours too.

I admit it- I bought this book because I liked the cover art, and man is it great! It reminded me of the film Equilibrium, except it was written about 30 years prior. Everybody thinks or Rosemary's Baby & The Stepford Wives when they think of Levin, but This Perfect Day is his true masterpiece. Why isn't this a movie? The end where the old man's head is on the young athletic body would be so cool to see on the big screen. And many parts are very sexy. Like the organized orgies. And the women who go off the drug getting enhanced sexual desires (among other things), is really something. Just writing this makes me want to read it again...

The Captive was by far my favorite and most anticipated of the Secret Circle series. It shows you another, less shy, side of Cassie and shines light on the other side of the coven, such as Deb, Susan, the Henderson brothers, and, of course, Faye. You also watch Cassie struggle with her feelings for Adam and her loyalty to Diana. I thought it was a great book. I couldn't -- didn't put it down.

Of the three books in this trilogy, this is perhaps the slowest one to read, simply because the action is not as quickly paced as the first one, and so much happens during the course of the novel. This is the book where most of the plot development occurs, and this is where we really start to know the characters who are introduced in "The Initiation." This book also serves as set up for the third book, and the climax of the series.

The mystery in New Salem deepens. More people die under strange circumstances, and Cassie finds out that many of the coven members' parents died in the same year, 1976. On top of that, Faye blackmails Cassie, first into finding the crystal skull that Faye covets, and then into voting for Faye when leadership of the coven is being determined.

One of L.J. Smith's greatest strengths is her ability to weave separate plots into a cohesive whole, and none of her series show this quite so well as her Secret Circle books do. The separate-yet-connected events in this book are expertly tied together in the third one, leaving no loose ends in the process and keeping the reader enthralled until the last page is turned.

I loved this book! The first Secret Circle book was good and this one was even better. I can't wait to read the conclusion to this series!

Faye, a powerful member of the coven, is blackmailing Cassie. Faye wants to have more power and be the leader of the coven and Cassie has to help her reach her goals. Cassie soon realizes that her actions may hurt Diana even more than the truth about Cassie and Adam would. Still, Cassie feels trapped and her only way to be free may be to join the dark side.

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. The action didn't slow down and I was hooked throughout the entire thing. I also liked Cassie's brush with the dark side. It gave the series a depth that it may not have had otherwise. Another thing I liked was how the coven was no longer split up into groups of good and bad members. All in all this is a great middle book that doesn't fail to live up to the first.

"The Captive" is the second book in the Secret Circle Trilogy by L. J. Smith, her most worthwhile trilogy. In the first book "The Initiation", teenager Cassie Blake and her mother moved to New Salem, where she was adopted by a group of witches within the school, who needed a twelfth member for the completion of their coven. There were complications however: although Cassie is instant friends with the coven leader Diana, Diana's cousin Faye is hostile and manipulative toward her. Meanwhile, Cassie has fallen for Diana's boyfriend Adam, and now Faye is blackmailing Cassie into doing whatever she asks - if she doesn't, she'll tell Diana the truth.

And what Faye is after is the sinister crystal skull that the coven uncovered, but that Cassie suspects is somehow behind the awful deaths of several people within New Salem - and she knows that it'll become twice as dangerous if it ends up in Faye's hands. But telling Diana that her beloved boyfriend and her best friend have been cheating on her would break her heart, as well as see her kicked out of the coven. She seemingly has no choice but to get Faye the skull - but first she has to find it...

Meanwhile, Cassie is investigating other strange occurrences around New Salem - she's been experiencing odd dreams, and her mother and grandmother's behaviour is still secretive and aloof. She finds a sealed and blocked off cellar at the local cemetery, as well as an unusual feature on the graves of the other witches' parents - all of them died in 1976. What happened that year to kill so many of the first generation? Another time phenomena strikes Cassie as odd - all the teenage witches celebrate their birthdays within three months of each other, almost as if the parents coordinated their children's' births.

As well as this there is the usual teenager-novel fare: school dances, joy riding, bullying, hormones, raunchy games, and a sprinkling of witchy rituals throughout. Finally though, the story accumulates with the vote for the permanent coven leader, a position coveted by both Faye and Diana, and a disaster that reveals much of the back-story to the terrible happenings at New Salem.

However, the story ends with one of L. J. Smith's frustrating cliff-hangers which forces you to track down and pay for the next book before you find out what happens. I've always found this to be one of the most unappealing components of Smith's books, unlike book series like "Harry Potter" for example, with each installment containing a full, complete plot, Smith's books are divided into several volumes for the simple reasoning: they get more money this way. If there is a publication out there that combines all three of the books into one, I suggest getting that instead of spending money on three separate books.

"The Captive" is possibly the best book in the series, melding several mysteries and plot devices into a whole, with enough intrigue and suspense to keep anyone interested. Cassie's dilemma certainly makes compulsive reading, as does the duality between Diana and Faye, and the direction that the coven can take. The figure of Black John lurks in the background like a sinister shadow (and is certainly Smith's best villain) and again Smith deftly portrays the relationships and attitudes of normal, understandable characters in an abnormal situation. Here we get to see a little more of the personalities of the rest of the coven, and although the Cassie/Adam love match still seems a little unlikely to me, it shakes things up well for the final book "The Power".

The Chosen is the first Night World book that begins from the main character's point of view... at age five. It's Rashel Jordan's fifth birthday, and she's celebrating with her mother and best friend, Timmy, at an amusement park. But before the day is over she watches a vampire kill her mother, eat her best friend, and burn her aunt alive.

Years later we find our beautiful dark-haired, cat-eyed girl a sleek, dangerous, and prestigious vampire hunter. Rashel is The Cat, known for murdering vampires all along the East Coast. She joins up with the vigilante team, the Lancers, on a stake-out (pardon the pun), only to find herself fatally attracted to the vampire she's supposed to kill.

Quinn is legendary in his own right; a vampire dating back to the New England years, known to have a black heart and emotions colder than ice. He also happens to be a killer telepath and terribly dangerous, even to hardened vampire hunters. Imagine his surprise when he wakes up after tangoing with two hunters to find himself looking into the eyes of The Cat.

What follows is an intense hunt. Rashel, face cloaked by a scarf, allows Quinn to escape, tarnishing her reputation and even her own opinion of herself. She attempts to make up for it when she stumbles across Daphne Childs, a fluffy bunny of a girl on the run from supposed vampire slave traders.

Rashel is a deeply involving heroine. She's strong, tough, and always prepared. Despite how jaded she is, we see her helping others at the risk of her own life. She even goes head-to-head with Quinn, knowing his reputation. Quinn is just as fascinating. We saw a peek of him in Daughters of Darkness, but he really shines in this novel. His backstory is heartbreaking, moreso when he's betrayed near the end by one of the only people he trusts.

This is easily one of my top three for this series (and no specific location, as my three favorites are so for several different reasons). Even if you pass on the rest of the series, this is one you cannot let alone.

This is a pretty good book. The characters are good. The plot's great. The writing's wonderful. So what's my problem? It should have been longer! Most of the Night World books by L.J. Smith manage to feel complete despite being short. "The Chosen" was different. The characters, their feelings, and their lives were complex. I especially would have been interested in learning more about Quinn. It just felt a bit rushed to me at the end. Actually, that's probably a good thing, that I loved the characters enough to want more. In any case, for the length she had to work with, L.J. Smith did a pretty good job.

As the fifth book in the Night World series, 'The Chosen' improves on all four of the previous books, drawing on deeper themes and ideas than the rest, and setting the scene for this continuing trend in the next book 'Soulmate'.
Rashel Jordan is only five years old when she witnesses her mother being killed and her younger brother Timmy being drunken from by a vampire. Because she's seen the killer and is telling others about what happened he comes after her when she stays at her Aunt Corinne's house, burning it to the ground. Rashel is alone in the world.
At seventeen years old, she is the bane of vampire-kind. Calling herself 'the Cat' she hunts and kills their kind in all of the major cities, and there is a large bounty on her head. At the time this story takes place Rashel goes to the Lancers, a human organisation for killing vampires and joins in with a small group who're watching a warehouse that has been lately occupied by vampires. Their goal is to catch a vampire and discover its reasons for being there - through torture if need be. Among the group is a young girl named Nyala whose sister was killed by a vampire. Yet when the vampire is caught and the others go to scout around, Rashel finds that to her horror she and the vampire - Quinn (last seen in Daughters of Darkness) are soulmates. Letting him go, Rashel finds that she is suddenly wanted by both sides of the fight - the vampires still have a bounty on her head, and the Lancers think she has defected to the other side.
And it doesn't end there. While on the run from both of them Rashel literally runs into a young girl Daphne Childs, who is one of the missing young girls of late. With her in tow Rashel has access to exactly what the vampires are up to. For unknown reasons - though Rashel suspects its the slave trade - girls are being abucted from a club known as the Black Iris by none other than Quinn himself. Rashel's mission is clear - get into the club, become one of these 'chosen' and thus get herself to one of the secret and hidden vampire enclaves. And she'll have to do it by herself...

As you can see, the premise is a fascinating one, and there is no shortage of interesting characters and ideas. Not all vampires are bad, not all humans are good so it would seem, and there are enough twists and turns, suspence and excitement to keep most people interested. It draws on things mentioned from the other books - the enclave is probably much like the ones Rowan, Kestrel and Jade escaped from in Daughters of Darkness, and the password that Rashel uses with the Lancers 'the night has a thousand eyes/and the day only one' is re-used in the prophesy in book seven. L. J. Smith extends more on her idea and the nature of the Night World than previously seen, and several characters pop up that will have appearences in other books - namely Hunter and Lily Redfern.
The 'mission' plot strand gives the book some focus (too often L. J. Smith's work rambles, changes, backtracks or doesn't know where its going) and the pace is fast and never dwindles.

However, there are a few flaws, the nature of which keeps this book from being a 'five-star' novel. The character of Nyala was a complicated and intriguing one - a girl who was slightly mentally unstable. I don't want to give too much away, but for those who have read the books, I felt that she should have perished in the fire. Okay, that's not very nice of me, but a good author should know when to destroy a character for greater impact in the book's progression. But no, L.J. Smith simply *had* to save her, didn't she. She just *had* to have yet another happy, cliche-ridden ending that is so prevailent in so many of her books. To have Nyala has a tragic figure would have been both poignant and heartbreaking - *that's* what we should have come away from the book feeling.
Secondly, Daphne Child's part in the book is pretty implausible. Let me get this straight - she manages to escape from the jaws of certain death and is saves by pure chance by Rashel. And when she is faced with what she got away with, she wants to...do it again? Huh? Yes, yes, she's very brave about going back to the Night Club and letting herself get kidnapped, but come on! - it was just plain stupid. No one in real life would ever do this to themselves. It was the same when Rashel was at the docks and she turned around to find all the girls still there - face it, they would have run like deer.
It also ended very abruptly - we don't know what is to become of Timmy, of the girls, of the enclave...it ends with simply the boat sailing back to the shore. I for one had many unanswered questions, and since each book tells of a totally different couple, they weren't to be found in the next book.
Finally, the use of the name 'Timmy', brought back Lassie flashbacks: 'Oh no, Timmy's down the well!' Unfortunatly this meant whenever Timmy turned up I was plauged by visions of him floudering in water.

All in all however, a good read. One of L.J.'s more suspenseful, darker works. Highly recommended in the context of the Night World series.

But 'Timmy'?...

looking for vampire scum! After a friend and family perish at the hands of an evil vampire Rashel whips herself into killer shape and goes on a rampage as she leads a double life...hunting vampires by night and attending school during the day! All is well for Rashell, kicking vampire butt at night until she crosses paths with a magnetic vampire named Quinn. Rashell finds herself foiling the kidnapping plan and letting Quinn go free!
Their paths then cross again when Rashel goes undercover at a Nightworld night club...
Quinn has no idea the beautiful green eyed girl he meets at the underground club is the same lethal vampire slayer he met that night he was ambushed and then set free by. A determined Rashell wants to be let into a nightworld slave trade and will use all her wiles to get Quinn to let her into the slave trade.
This book has an exsplosive ending! Astonishing secrets are revealed to both Quinn and Rashel. L.J. Smith is my top author and I also suggest Christopher Pike.

This is my all time favourite L.J. Smith book although it is closely followed by Huntress. I loved Rashel's strong character and Quinn was to die for as the vampire guy with no heart. I felt that this was the best written book and the characters were a lot more realistic than in some previous ones. Also nice touch with the flashbacks into their pasts to give them more depth and background.

Rashel kicks butt in her role as the breathtakingly beautiful and devastatingly dangerous slayer of vampires. Ever since she was a kid, Rashel has been picking off evil Night World people and she has never been beaten or caught. Determined to find the vampire who killed her mother, a chance encounter with the deadly vmpire Quinn will change her life.

When she gives him a chance to escape, Quinn realises that this beautiful girl is far from what she seems. Later, they meet again and once again, Rashel is faced with either killing him or letting him escape and possibly ruining her disguise. She lets him go and soon after, he too his faced with the same choice.

Fantastic! Deserves 10 stars! Couple of questions though. Why is it that the humans never seem to want to become vampires? It's not that bad really, from the book description and would solve problems like dying. The best book though!